Drivers urged to calm down

By Paul Dunlop
POLICE have pleaded for driving calm after a horror month on roads around Pakenham.
In the wake of a tumultuous fourweek stretch which saw three young men killed in separate crashes around the district, police yesterday unveiled plans to significantly increase its patrols along some of the most notorious trouble spots.
Pakenham Senior Sergeant Steve Matthews said the recent fatalities and a number of other serious collisions had been a huge concern for police.
Sen Sgt Matthews said Cardinia Traffic Management Unit would be mounting a series of extra initiatives in a bid to nip in the bud what was emerging as a terrible trend.
“It has not been a good month,” he said.
“Three young people have lost their lives, and it’s been local people on local roads.
“The cost to the community is enormous, not only in terms of the emotional toll such tragedies take on the families of the motorists involved, but also the police and other emergency service workers who are called to attend the crash scene and subsequent investigations.”
Sen Sgt Matthews said police would be targeting the BeaconsfieldEmerald Road, HealesvilleKooweerup Road and other major secondary roads feeding the Princes Highway.
Traffic on the roads on Thursday and Friday afternoons, evenings and weekends would be particularly monitored as these had proven to be the busiest times.
Sen Sgt Matthews said patrols would also be keeping a close eye on early morning traffic along the highway in a bid to clamp down on “early morning flyers” taking advantage of relatively quiet times to speed to work.
“We certainly need people to take greater care when they are driving on familiar roads,” he said.
“It is a concern that many of the people involved in recent incidents have been local residents.
“Police certainly want to remind motorists not to become too comfortable when they are driving on roads they regularly use.”
Sen Sgt Matthews said the local road toll remained lower than previous years but emphasised that even one death was still “one too many”.
“We again plead for people to take extra care, especially during winter and especially in the wake of what has happened over the last month,” he said.
Meanwhile, mourners turned out in large numbers on Friday to pay tribute at separate funeral services to Richie Parker of Berwick and Nicholas Gregorovich of Lang Lang.
The two teenagers both died in separate car crashes in a traumatic week for the local community.
Peter Stevenson of Garfield died in a crash at Bunyip four weeks ago.